Specification:
Length 16ft 5ins (5.05m)
Beam 6' 10" (2.10m)
Draught 10" (256mm)
Freeboard 31" (790mm)
Weight 630Kg (1386lbs)
Engine 75hp Evinrude E-tec (Max 80hp)
Country of manufacture: Lancashire, UK
More details and full specification can be found on their website Warrior Boats
Report by Steve
After running a Warrior 165 for five seasons, I was thinking of trading in for a new one. I had looked at the 175 but she was just too big for my purposes.
Paul then told me he had a deluxe 165 on the drawing board, which was to be based on the 175 hull format and involve considerable detail changes.
I wasn't terribly convinced that there was much Warrior could do to improve the 165 but I agreed to wait.
It turned out to be a long wait, over 18 months before we finally got to see the beast at its London Boat Show debut.
From a distance she looks pretty much like any other 165 but as you move in closer the details start to emerge.
The Warrior 165 hull profile has been kept, but structurally everything has changed.
As I understand it, the 165 has a hardwood keel and a reinforcing matrix overlaid by a marine ply and glass floor.
The Pro Angler is designed like the 175 without any wood at all, with a substantially heavier lay-up hull, a beefier matrix and an inner shell, the floor of which is bonded to the hull matrix.
The final result should be a lot stronger than the older design but also somewhat heavier.
The topsides are also substantially re-designed. The transom well has been widened to accomodate the bulk of modern 4 stroke outboards and the two livebait wells have been increased in size,
although in my opinion they would still be pretty well useless for anything other than a handful of sandeels.
The cuddy sees the biggest changes. The plastic windows are gone in favour of proper laminated glass and the cuddy has been extended back some 4" in order to incorporate an eye-level locker containing a collapsible sun/rain canopy. Internally, the inner shell has meant a total revamp. The cuddy is longer so there's more storage, with a vastlybigger console, waterproof bench lockers, a big locker/cool box in front of the passenger and those very handy 175-style storage bins under the side windows. Most importantly, the bench under the front window has gone making it possible to stand in the front hatch to haul anchor rather than having to kneel.
The old painted decking has gone in favour of high-grip Treadmaster and the bilge is now much shallower. The double-skinned design has also meant the loss of the drain plug so a bilge pump is now standard fitment, a definite retrograde step.
At the London Show, we spent hours climbing in and out of the 165 and the Pro Angler comparing merits.
There were a couple of issues that bothered me. Deck space is severely reduced, about comparable with that of the 150 and making this a boat that will only fish three anglers at best.
The description of it as being the fishing boat equivalent of a luxury two-seater sports car is pretty spot on. As I sometimes carry three, I was uncertain.
The double skin also reduced the amount of foot-room under the gunnels when standing to fish, but that has proved to be no problem, plus I wasn't so very sure I needed all the extra storage or the half canopy.
We went away to think and decided that the only way to tell for sure was to suck it and see.
I rang Paul to find that he'd already gone ahead and scheduled a build for us! We went for a very high level of specification, helped by a very good trade-in for our 165 and a decent Show deal.
Delivery was inevitably delayed by a few weeks and the factory were very hard-pressed with staffing issues and a run of orders. This showed a bit in the final fit and finish, with one or two minor flaws in the moulding compared with our original 165.
However, that has to be put in context as the build quality of Warriors is up there with the best in the business.
At sea, my reservations vanished. This boat is a revelation. The standard 165 planes easily but the boat always rides a little bow-high and porpoises at top speed, a minor quirk that responds well to trim tabs or Doel-fins.
The Pro Angler came with trim tabs as part of the package but really doesn't need them, the balance is extremely good without them and she runs flat and level.
With tabs down, the rear end lifts so easily that it is very difficult to spot when she actually starts planing. The flatter stance at speed means far less slamming and there is no porpoising at all.
However, the trade-off is that the Pro Angler is much more sensitive to a following or beam sea with an uncomfortable tendency to list and turn in when crossing waves on the stern quarter.
Hard work for the skipper and only partly cured by trimming the engine out.
The engine fitted is a 75hp Evinrude e-tec. A fantastic engine to live with but issued with a dog of a 17" prop which would only allow it to pull 4200rpm. This has been changed for a 15" pitch after some trials on a local lake. I've not done a full speed run yet but from other folk's experience I can probably expect about 5000rpm now, bang in the middle of the recommended range and equating to maybe 30 knots.
As for the design changes, I'm pretty happy. The storage is fantastic and allows me to keep the deck much clearer. The Treadmaster decking offers grip even when slimed up, a major safety feature, and the new anchor hatch arrangements are a big improvement.
The half canopy has also been very useful and I'm ashamed to say I rather enjoy having cup-holders on the console. Before I go into the negatives, I should say that I would NOT go back to a 165.
OK, minor gripes.
The half canopy storage locker is a tad small, the thing has to be very carefully rolled for storage and even then the closing fittings are under too much pressure.
They'll fail eventually and it is a pain to fold away even on the drive, never mind at sea.
Treadmaster is a bitch to clean during a hosepipe ban as I can't use the pressure washer to get the smelly bits out of the tread and there are times, such as when a lively tope comes aboard, when the extra deck space of the 165 would be nice.
The anchor locker has shrunk a bit. Even on the 165 I struggled to stow my 7.5kg Bruce, now it always pushes up one of the locker lids and they are getting chipped quite badly.
The enlarged livebait wells now protrude too far down into the space under the transom, making battery access awkward and stopping me sliding a fish box under there.
I'm seriously contemplating a cut and shut job to shorten them as I only use them for storage anyway and for that they are too deep!
These are all minor issues though, the bottom line for me is that the design changes and upmarket feel outweigh the gripes and extra cost.
If you've got the budget and like to fish with just one crewman then the Pro Angler is pretty special.
Specification:
Length 16ft 5ins (5.05m)
Beam 6' 10" (2.10m)
Draught 10" (256mm)
Freeboard 31" (790mm)
Weight 630Kg (1386lbs)
Engine 70hp Suzuki Four-stroke (Max 80hp)
Country of manufacture: Lancashire, UK
More details and full specification can be found on their website Warrior Boats
Report by Jim Whippy courtesy of Boat Fishing Monthly
Armchair Comfort
The Warrior Pro Angler has been great since I took delivery and as a result I have done more wreckingg in it than all my previous boats. It's a very comfortable two-man boat, an 'armchair ride' I call it, with lots of extra bits built in including livebait tanks.
Doing more wrecking trips is of course linked to having complete confidence in the Suzuki 70hp 4-stroke on the back. The boat and four-stroke outboard combo has proved to be very economical to run, which is another reason we have put in some long trips during the year.
Then there's the fabulous Navman 8120 GPS/Sonar unit that gives us widescreen viewing and incredible accuracy when seeking out the wrecks - all the tools to do the job properly.
Professional Approach
Paul and Ohil at Warrior have put a lot of thought into the design of the Warrior Pro Angler and asked several of their customers what extras they would like to have on thier boats.
The result is to give plenty of locker space, including an extra locker that can be used as a cool store for your catch. Then there is the non-slip flooring and upgraded design of the helm and fascia that makes the boat look well, professional.
The biggest boon to the angler are the double livebait tanks on either side of the transom. Although these take up a bit of fishing space they have been brilliant for not only keeping sandeels, mackerel and pout alive, but for keeping the catch frsh as well. Cod and bass hace stayed alive for some time in the tanks, ensuring they are in prime condition at the end of the day.
Built-In Canopy
The Pro Angler has an ingenious lockable canopy container on top of the cabin roof. The lid is lifted up, the canopy then pulls down covering covering the area over thea seats. It gives complete cover from the weather but doesn't restrict casting of fishing out the back of the boat. It does mean you have to sit down to drive the boat with the canopy down.
The one snag I have found, that has meant it's not been used too often, is getting it packed away again after use. Even with two of us it looked a bit of a mess and getting the catch done up took all our strength.
It's a bit fiddly and there's not a lot od space in the special container. Probably best to decide whether you want it up or down and leave it in that position.
Top Notch
There are two inset shelves on each side of the boat that are handy for keeping knifes,T-bar, a lead or two and some spare rigs in. Below is a rod rack that can also hold a gaff or landing net.
The boat ran at a top speed of about 25-knots when the water was calm but more often than not with the swell we get on the south coast it was nearer 20-knots for the majority of time. One small thing that is a bit of a nuisance is the helm seat is too near the ignition key. I have had the key knocked out, bent and jammed when the seat is spun round to fish. Apart from that the seats are of good quality and make long trips very comfortable, provided there are only two anglers on board. Add another angler with tackle box and things become crowded to enjoy the days fishing.
Summing up, the boat got me out more often than before, in good comfort and further out and coupled to the fabulous Suzuki 70hp 4-stroke it's a formidable combo that is economical to run. What more could you ask of a small boat?
Disclaimer: Everything written in these reports are based on personal experience and the individual's opinion only. I have tried my best to present the facts correctly, but I/we take no responsibility for any mistakes or omissions.